Netflix poaches Disney+ unscripted chief Dan Silver for documentaries

Dan Silver

Netflix has hired Disney+’s VP of non-fiction originals Dan Silver to lead its documentary films.

Silver took on his most recent role at the Mouse House-owned streamer last year, having previously been head of platforms and content at Disney-owned Marvel Entertainment,

However, he is now leaving to join Netflix as director of documentary feature films, reporting into Lisa Nishimura, VP of independent film & documentary features.

During his time at Disney, Silver worked on shows including Marvel’s 616, Muppets Now and The Imagineering Story at Disney+, while his credits at Marvel included podcast Wolverine: The Long Night. Prior to that, he worked at Disney-owned ABC News Digital and ESPN Films. The Hollywood Reporter broke the news.

Silver’s departure comes shortly after his team were moved to work under Gary Marsh, who was appointed president & chief creative officer of Disney Branded Television following Disney’s vast restructuring of its General Entertainment Content division, under Peter Rice.

Last week, a swathe of senior execs and staffers were laid off at the Mouse House’s TV operations as part of the overhaul, with those cuts coming just days after it was revealed that Disney Television Studios would be reduced to two teams, falling under the banners of ABC Signature and 20^th Television.

Silver’s new employer Netflix, meanwhile, has enjoyed a prolific run in factual over recent years, winning Oscars every year since 2016 for American Factory, Period. End of Sentence, Icarus and The White Helmets. It has also been behind Athlete A, Crip Camp and David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet, among numerous others.